


they say the best love is insane

by leatherandwolfsbane



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek and Stiles might talk about feelings, M/M, Malia's definitely a Hale, Peter's his usual snarky scheming self, Post-Nogitsune, Pre-Slash, Season 3B AU, Season/Series 03, canon compliant through 3.20 "Echo House"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-28
Updated: 2014-02-28
Packaged: 2018-01-14 02:57:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1250170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leatherandwolfsbane/pseuds/leatherandwolfsbane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter has a field day when he learns that Stiles made out with his daughter. But it's Derek's reaction that's the most revealing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	they say the best love is insane

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "What You Wanted" by OneRepublic. And of course I have no ownership of Teen Wolf or any of it's content or OneRepublic's song.

Peter has a field day when he learns that Stiles made out with his daughter. He's always had his eyes on Stiles, always been interested in the boy, but this is just too perfect. He isn't offended. He doesn't have the right to be. Malia's a Hale through and through, an independent spitfire. Peter's well aware that his daughter, when she even lets him call her that word, does what she wants. And unless it goes against his schemes, who is he to stop her? Until she crosses him, she's not a problem, just a pawn like everyone else. 

So when they're all gathered in Derek's loft, Stiles choosing to spend his post-nogitsune time with the Hales, and Malia makes a snide comment about him not being afraid to do what he wanted with her, the whole room freezes. Peter tries valiantly to contain his laughter but a small huff escapes before he settles for a smirk. This is too priceless. He hadn't known the two had been so...intimate…with each other. Good for Stiles; Peter wasn't sure the boy would ever have it in him to make a move. 

Stiles is stunned, flustered, unsure if it's safer to try and explain himself or run. But it's Derek's reaction that's the most revealing, the most amusing to his uncle.

Derek…Derek just looks affronted. His nephew isn't usually so expressive, at least not with anything outside of rage, but the boy's changed over the past few months. Calmer. Sweeter, charming almost. More like his younger self. A little more Derek. 

And Peter knows why, of course he does. Talia's words had comforted him, cleansed him in a way, had left him open to things he hadn't indulged in since the fire. Things like love. Real love. Human love. Only a fool would be so blind to not see how Derek cares about Stiles. How he'd taken a bullet for him, defended him, nearly destroyed his tentative alliance with the Argents for this boy. This boy that Derek’s slowly realizing isn't skinny and defenseless but powerful in his own right. This boy who means a great deal to him. 

Only a fool like Stiles, apparently, as the teen launches into one of his typical confusing tirades accompanied by flailing hands to talk himself out of a corner while also making everything more convoluted. He’s trying to just laugh it off, claim it was a one time thing. Malia shrugs her shoulder in agreement; says she wouldn’t mind if that changed, just spurring them on as she watches the pair. 

Peter doesn't catch most of it, too focused on Derek's face. How that face shifts towards a different kind of anger before he bursts out, jealous “I thought I meant something to you. I thought we both meant something to each other.”

Derek’s eyes widen the second he realizes he spoke aloud and he steps away, defensive, but he can’t take the words back. Too late. Too far. Stiles and Derek just stare at each other, hard…unblinking. Peter has to roll his eyes at the intensity of the gaze. How do these idiots not realize how deeply and sickeningly they care for each other? He’s half tempted to just shove Stiles into Derek’s arms and walk away but he just observes for now; listening closely to decipher how to twist this to his advantage. 

“You do Derek. Of course you do and you know that. I know that I’m only here right now because of you. You have no idea…” Stiles stops himself, forcing a stabilizing breath. 

The teen sets off easily these days; tears coming fast and hard when he dwells on the events of this past fall. The nogitsune had taken quite a toll. It was why he spent so much time with the Hales recently. The survivor’s guilt, the PTSD…it all made Stiles reach out to Derek, the one who understands how he really feels. Lydia had been his tether and the Sheriff had fought with everything he had for his son, but Stiles couldn’t face his old life. Twisting a katana into your best friend’s gut had that effect. He’d killed innocent people and tormented his pack; no good person could just bounce back from that. 

And Derek has been there for him. Lydia and Scott try but Stiles just isn’t ready to face them. Peter doesn’t mind the teen’s presence at all; he’s always felt that Stiles is too strong for McCall, wasted on those children who couldn’t see his true worth. Peter was counting down the days until Stiles defects to the Hales entirely, hopefully bringing the lovely Ms. Martin with him. 

“I’m just making a habit of kissing all the Hales, I guess?” Stiles gives a self-deprecating snort. “I mean I kissed Cora, or well, it was cpr, but that kind of counts? I don’t know. I mean she wasn’t breathing; I had to do something. I did tell her that I’d kiss her again when she woke up but that didn’t happen. And I’m fine with that. I mean, I liked your sister, but not in that way. I’m not even sure why I said that really…”

Malia’s a Hale all right, if her snicker and perfectly arched eyebrows have anything to say about her allegiance. Derek’s full on fuming now, but there’s something else to it. Desperation? Disappointment? 

“You kissed my sister. You kissed my sister before you kissed me? Are you just going to go around town now kissing everyone but me?!” He’s at a loss for words, exasperated. Dejected. That’s the word Peter was looking for. Peter’s not so sure that Derek isn’t possessed by something right now to be speaking so candidly. He supposes after all they’ve been through some candor can’t hurt.

But Derek’s had enough now; too much honesty and emotion for one day. He turns sharply, yanks the door back so hard it reverberates, and then practically somersaults out of the loft. Ah well, slow progress is still progress Peter supposes.

These last few minutes have been quite illuminating. Stiles stands still, stuck in his mind and chest heaving with everything that’s transpired. “What…the…holy hell…?”

Malia feigns indifference and moves to sit on the couch, glancing inquisitively at Stiles periodically and contemplating her cousin’s confession. She knows Stiles well enough to not pester him when he’s lost or follow Derek when he’s pissed. 

But to Peter…to Peter this is the gift he’s been waiting for. His plans to regain his status have been annoying deterred with this nogtisune and nemeton business but perhaps he can salvage something here. 

He can push Stiles and Derek together until the opportune moment to rip them apart. Once they finally embrace each other, Stiles will embrace himself. Stiles is special; he needs to know that. If Stiles dates his nephew it will force him into a new side of his supernatural existence. It’ll force him to be stronger, search deeper. Stiles is more important than he knows. That spark he holds doesn’t end with mountain ash. If only that damned Deaton would spend some attention on Stiles instead of that goody Scott…but perhaps that is a present for Peter as well. 

Peter can teach Stiles, mold him, make him solely loyal to the Hales. Especially loyal to Peter. He knows more about emissaries and druids than the other Hales and even if Peter can’t teach the boy the ways of magic, Stiles will still be an asset. He’s tenacious, dark, clever, a fine strategist. After all, the root of the nogitsune’s power stemmed from Stiles himself, even if the boy never imagined himself capable of murder. 

Peter needs Derek out of the way, painfully so. He’ll use him until Derek has nothing left to give; he’ll let the hotheaded beta sacrifice himself for his newly discovered love. And leave Stiles for Peter. Leave a ruthless, wise and gifted Stiles all for Peter’s whims. Together they can restore the Hale territory to its former glory. 

Peter pauses for a moment, searching with his senses to find Derek crouching in the stairwell, heart beating fast. He knows Derek can still hear them. So he’s going to give them a little push. 

“So when do I get my kiss, Stiles?”


End file.
